Add this to the ever growing Galaxy Nexus News File. As we know from earlier today, shipments of Galaxy Nexus devices are heading to Verizon stores this week, and if that doesn’t excite you, this will. A video has been released showing off the phone’s super quick shutter speed in the camera, the wallpapers and the factory reset animation.

Check out the video below, and I hope this holds everyone over until we see the Galaxy Nexus. Who knows, maybe it will actually come out on Friday like the rumors are hinting. Also, if you want to get more than your fill of Galaxy Nexus news, you can go here. A big thanks to the folks over at Droid Life for this video.

Wow time flies doesn’t it? It seems like just yesterday since Verizon launched the true 4G network across the US. And since it seems like Verizon doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon, what better way to celebrate the 1-year anniversary than to tease consumers with some coveted info of a certain sexy new tablet coming out with two variations and a certain unmolested pure Android phone. To make a long story short, VZW is telling consumers to be patient, both devices will be out sooner than you think, though they still won’t give anyone a concrete date. Considering we’ve seen information of accessories being leaked out here and there– we could only assume it wouldn’t be too much longer that we could expect these nice toys to be a reality in the VZW stores across the country. Expect the Xyboard to finally “come out this month” and the Galaxy Nexus to be “coming soon”. Be sure to hit the break for the full presser.

Happy 1st Anniversary, Verizon Wireless 4G LTE!

Alabama, Arkansas, California . . . West Virginia, Wisconsin . . . and all over. On Dec. 15, more than 200 million Americans will be able to experience the blazingly fast speed and reliability of our 4G LTEnetwork.

And today, on Dec. 5, we're celebrating big time because it's the one-year anniversary of our initial deployment of 4G LTE. We started in 38 major markets, plus a 39th – West Lafayette, Indiana – the home ofPurdue University. Our friends at Purdue were incredibly anxious to begin developing uses for 4G LTE on campus and we made sure they had the resources to keep their technology mojo humming.

Network Reach

Those initial 39 markets weren't all small, of course. They were places like metro New York City, San Francisco, Chicagoland and Atlanta. And on that first day, we covered more than 110 million people with 4G LTE: a very strong showing.

This is what leadership is about. Some of our competitors in the marketplace talk about 4G LTE a lot. What they're planning, when they might have services in lots of cities, when they might get an abundance of 4G LTE smartphones and other devices so users can actually, well, use the network.

On Dec. 15, Verizon Wireless will be in 190 markets, covering more than 200 million people, with numerous different devices. Which means you have a great selection of smartphones, tablets, mobile hotspots and USB modems to access the network.

We build and maintain the best wireless networks in the world. That's why Popular Science and PCWorld have both recently acknowledged our 4G LTE network as one of the great technological developments of 2011.

Hats off to the Verizon Wireless network engineers who are building 4G LTE from the ground up. Cheers to our major network infrastructure partners at Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson and Cisco.

It's time to blow out the candle and know that "Year 2" will be twice as bright.

It’s not as hot as the Black Friday price, but $299.99 with free shipping will probably be the cheapest the ASUS Transformer will be this holiday season. No, it’s not the quad-core beast Transformer Prime, but this is by far the best tablet you can buy for the money. We have no idea how much stock they have, so I recommend you order quickly.

No this isn’t the official confirmation we’re all waiting for, but this is definitely a step in the right direction. XDA member, robertlawson225, has uploaded some rather exciting photos of the Galaxy Nexus and claims that “Verizon galaxy nexus devices are being shipped to retail stores this week.” There is no telling weather or not retail stores have actually received shipment, but by the looks of the stainless steel table in the photos I would assume they were taken in the warehouse. This just adds to all the hype of an official release this Friday, Dec. 9th, and I hope it becomes true as I assume you do as well.

How about that all white unmarked packaging? Could this be a reflection of the pure Android experience, or are we not seeing the sleeve that Verizon will slap over it?I hope the former. I am really digging the subtle look for such an unsubtle device!

Other than the Galaxy Nexus, which we’re still hoping will be released this week, the hottest phone right now has to be the DROID RAZR. Every day in December (except December 31), Verizon is going to give one away for FREE. All you have to do is complete an entry form and share their message on Facebook and Twitter. They are comparing it to “caroling in the social era.”

You have to enter each day by filling out the form and sharing. Of course, you can enter as often as you like, but you need to do it at least once each day to be eligible for that day. Unfortunately there’s a little bad news as this contest is only good for residents in NC, SC, TN, AL, GA, FL, MS, AR, LA, OK, and TX. If you’re 18 years or older, and live in one of these states, hit the source link to get the ball rolling because there’s still 26 winners to be named.

The other day we told you about the CyanogenMod team bringing CM7 to the Kindle Fire. Well as of today you can too. However, this is a lengthy process (43 steps and use of ADB) and I suggest taking extreme caution by reading through the entire guide before you take on this task. According to the post, this is still an alpha build and some stuff doesn’t work. We reported before that the wifi wasn’t working, but both that and the touchscreen are working just fine. The sound and hardware acceleration aren’t working however. According to the post:

“- First, this method will require some knowledge of ADB. - This version is very much an alpha build, and as such there are features that are not yet working, though most of the important stuff is. - Wifi and touchscreen controls are reported to work just fine, however sound and hardware acceleration are not. - This has been tested with firmware versions 6.0 and 6.1, but not on 6.2. - In addition, there is no way (currently) to return to the stock software. - There are likely other issues as well, but if you’re willing to test it then proceed.”

So, those of you that are interested in trying this out, I still, advise extreme caution in flashing this, and like with rooting and flashing on other devices, it does void your warranty. If you haven’t rooted your Kindle Fire yet and want to, you can go here. There is no way to get back to the Stock software as of yet, so again, extreme caution advised, have I stressed this enough yet?

If this doesn’t deter you from trying this out, hit the break below to download the files and for the install process. Those of you that successfully flash this, we would love to hear from you. How well does it work?

If it says the bootmode has written, then you can reboot by typing reboot

The developer recommends that you do not unplug the USB link to your PC.

You should now boot into Clockwork Recovery

Check first at the bottom of the screen for any error messages, which should be displayed in white. If you see one that references something being read-only, you should be fine. If it gives you an error about log or last_log, then you may have missed a step above. If any error comes up, you may need to reflash CWM recovery.

Navigating CWM will be a little more difficult. You should see that the “Install update.ZIP from SD Card” option has been moved to the top of the list. Click the power button to select this option and flash the ROM.

The “Yes” option has also been moved to the top, so select it with the power button.

Because you can’t navigate to the mounts and storage options in CWM, the necessary steps of wiping Data, System, and Cache have been included in the ROM that you’re flashing. Be aware that these things are being wiped!

There will be a spot where you can only select “NO” as an option. Go ahead and do it. It will mimic you selecting “Yes”.

Allow the file to install

After installation, you will need to reflash the stock recovery image to the Kindle.

Did you know that as of right now you can get your hands on a 7-inch Android tablet that runs Ice Cream Sandwich for under $100? Well you can. Today, MIPS technology announced the first ICS tablet to hit the market with the availability of their $99 device. The 7-inch tablet operates at 1GHz by way of a MIPS-based XBurst CPU and uses a JZ47700 APU that together, create a 1080p multimedia experience that “adopts an innovative ultra-low-power pipelining architecture” designed for low power consumption. Battery life should be good with a minimal power draw of only 400mA during active web browsing.

Currently the tablet is only available in a 7-inch screen but the press release states that 8- and 9-inch tablets are on the way. The new MIPS tablet is only available in Japan right now, but will hit the US and other countries soon. All versions of the tablet will feature similar specs such as Wi-Fi, a USB 2.0 port, HDMI 1.3, front and rear cameras, and a microSD card slot. It’s not uncommon to find such specs in a reasonably priced Android tablet but it’s always nice when Google’s Andy Rubin expresses his support:

I'm thrilled to see the entrance of MIPS-Based Android 4.0 tablets into the market. Low cost, high performance tablets are a big win for mobile consumers and a strong illustration of how Android's openness drives innovation and competition for the benefit of consumers around the world.

There is no exact details on when the tablet will be available here in the states, but reports are showing it can be ordered now for $166 shipped to the US, specific locations may vary. Jump past the break for the full press release, the pricing and availability section gives details on where to place an order. Does this sound like something that tickles your fancy?

SUNNYVALE, Calif. – December 5, 2011–MIPS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MIPS), a leading provider of industry-standard processor architectures and cores for digital home, networking and mobile applications, and Ingenic Semiconductor, a leading China-based CPU provider for mobile multimedia applications, today announced worldwide availability of the world's first tablet based on Android ™ 4.0, known as 'Ice Cream Sandwich', that is retailing for less than $100 (U.S). The tablet is powered by Ingenic's JZ4770 mobile applications processor, which leverages a MIPS-Based™ XBurst™ CPU running at 1GHz.

According to Andy Rubin, senior vice president of mobile at Google, "I'm thrilled to see the entrance of MIPS-Based Android 4.0 tablets into the market. Low cost, high performance tablets are a big win for mobile consumers and a strong illustration of how Android's openness drives innovation and competition for the benefit of consumers around the world."

The new Android 4.0 tablet is available in China and online through Ainol Electronics Co., Ltd. It will be available in the United States and other geographies within the next several months under brands from companies including Leader International Inc. and OMG Electronics Ltd.

The new tablet is available with a 7" capacitive multi-touch screen. 8" and 9" form factors will be available soon. All versions include support for WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, USB 2.0, HDMI 1.3 and microSD, as well as 3D graphics with the Vivante GC860 GPU, 1080p video decoding and dual front/rear cameras. The XBurst processor's power-efficient architecture provides extended battery life—the 7" tablet draws less than 400mA during active web browsing.

"We are pleased to join with MIPS to announce these breakthrough high-performance, low-power, low-cost Android 4.0 tablets. Combining the elegance of the MIPS architecture and Ingenic's innovation in processor design, we are bringing a new level of processor technology to mobile devices. As we continue to collaborate with MIPS to broaden the mobile ecosystem around the legendary MIPS architecture, we anticipate even broader proliferation of our devices worldwide. We believe the mobile world will be more versatile and colorful with another processor joining in," said Qiang Liu, chairman and CEO, Ingenic Semiconductor.

"The openness of Android is enabling a new level of connectedness and interaction between devices and between people across the globe. We are excited to be a part of the Android ecosystem delivering on that vision. We applaud Ingenic's accomplishment in developing this new high-performance, feature-rich Android 4.0 tablet, and offering it at a price point that makes it widely accessible. We look forward to teaming with Ingenic as it continues to develop MIPS-Based mobile innovations," said Sandeep Vij, president and CEO, MIPS Technologies.

Ingenic JZ4770 SoC

The Ingenic JZ4770 SoC inside of the new tablet is one of the first MIPS-Based systems-on-chips (SoCs) targeted for mobile devices that delivers 1GHz+ frequency, increasingly a requirement for tablets and other devices that incorporate rich multimedia and high-performance applications/functionality. The JZ4770 SoC is powered by a MIPS32 compatible XBurst CPU designed by Ingenic. The XBurst CPU core adopts an innovative ultra-low-power pipelining architecture which consumes less than 90mW in 1GHz (with L1 cache), and the entire SOC consumes ~250mW with the CPU and video engine operating under full load. In addition to the XBurst CPU, the JZ4770 SoC integrates an optimized 1080p video processing engine, OpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics processing unit from Vivante Corp. and numerous on-chip analog and application blocks such as audio codecs and GPS.

Pricing and Availability

Ingenic's JZ4770 SoC for Android 4.0 tablets is available now. The new Android 4.0 tablet is available in China and online through Ainol Electronics Co., Ltd. at www.ainovo.com. The 7" tablet retails for less than $100 (U.S.) non-subsidized. The tablet will be available in other geographies within the next several months. For more information, visit http://en.ingenic.cn/.

About Ingenic

Ingenic Semiconductor was founded in Beijing in 2005 to develop innovative processor technology. Based on the MIPS architecture, Ingenic designs its own CPU core called XBurst. The XBurst CPU adopts an innovative micro-architecture which consumes very little power under high performance. Powered by the XBurst CPU, the company's JZ47xx series application processors are widely deployed in embedded devices and consumer electronic products including PMPs, educational electronic devices, eBooks, biometrics and more, with more than 30 million units shipped to-date. For more information, visit http://www.ingenic.cn/.

About MIPS Technologies, Inc.

MIPS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MIPS) is a leading provider of industry-standard processor architectures and cores for digital home, networking and mobile applications. The MIPS architecture powers some of the world’s most popular products, including broadband devices from Linksys, DTVs and digital consumer devices from Sony, DVD recordable devices from Pioneer, digital set-top boxes from Motorola, network routers from Cisco, 32-bit microcontrollers from Microchip Technology and laser printers from Hewlett-Packard. Founded in 1998, MIPS Technologies is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices worldwide. For more information, contact (408) 530-5000 or visit www.mips.com.

Well chalk this up as another tablet come and gone. Dell has pulled the Streak 7 from its online stores and the tablet is no longer available for purchase. As Dell pulled the Streak 5 in August and there is no confirmation that the Streak 10 Pro will see a U.S. release, it appears that Dell is re-evaluating its future in Android tablets. Even with an update to Honeycomb, sales of the tablet were lackluster.

Of course this also adds some weight to the rumor that Dell would be pulling out of the tablet market altogether. However, this doesn’t actually confirm that the computer-making company is pulling out of the tablet game, but it does beg the question, what is Dell going to do next?

Last week, an OTA update was issued to early adopters that aimed to fix the volume bug that affected the new Galaxy Nexus. While reports are saying the update did the trick, a video recently surfaced showing the phone experiencing continual volume issues while in bootloader mode with a 900MHz/2G device butted up against it. Don’t be alarmed though, the way in which this guy got the issue to manifest should hardly be a concern. Nobody uses their phone like he demonstrates and it’s likely the issue will be fixed with the updated bootloader code.

Sony Corporation is now set to begin re-branding of all their phones after acquiring Sony Ericsson. An anonymous senior executive said by “mid next year, the Sony Ericsson brand will be phased out even as it looks to become a complete smartphone company. It would then sell its smartphones under the Sony brand”. This is the next logical step as Sony Ericsson has gotten much more serious about developing Android smartphones. After all, there is the well-known Xperia line for starters and don’t forget– they’re in the middle of developing that oh-so mysterious Nozomi device you might have heard about. One can argue SE is looking to become a top manufacturer of Android phones using the more familiar household name of Sony. You can expect Sony Ericsson to take full advantage of the increased resources now available from Sony too. According to Kristian Tear, executive VP & head of sales & marketing, SE expects “to gain from its assets on the content, technology and brand side” now that it is wholly owned by Sony. Moreover, SE has sky-high profit expectations. Tear adds the “last eight quarters have been good for us and we are proud of that. We went from focusing only on volumes to value but the big setback was what happened in Japan with the Tsunami, which put us back for this year quite a bit. But we are going in the right direction.”